Today Was My First Sculpting Class Ever (woo!), Which Meant Going Back To Basics And Learning A Few Fundamentals.

Today was my first sculpting class ever (woo!), which meant going back to basics and learning a few fundamentals. So I made a few clay dishes to get the hang of using all the tools and patterns the right way:

And another:

Here's one of the storage rooms, including some of my teacher's work:

Unknown clay, ~60 min. for all three pieces

I watched "Brick" today and was feeling a noir-ish sort of mood, so I made this little Cadillac. Not my finest work, I have to admit. But I learned a few things:

1. If you're going to make teeny tiny models and shoot them super close up, you better make sure your lines are straight.

2. If your proportions are off at the start, you're screwed.

3. I was probably a better sculptor when I was eleven:

It's not a very noir scene (driver, escaping a fantastic terror-beast, runs over miniature dinosaur?), but what do you want for Day Two.

Dark green and light green Play-Doh, ~ 60 min.

new toys

Happy fourth of July! Today, like all good Americans, I celebrated my freedom with a shopping trip. I scoured the dollar bin at Michael's and picked up a tiny rolling pin and nearly a pound of RoseArt modelling clay in yellow, red, green, and blue. Two bucks! I also got a great starter kit of 23 different tools in a sweet carrying case (half off, due to the holiday), a little bottle of clay softener, a texture pattern (alligator!), a small brick of black Sculpey (I want to try all the different brands), a big plastic plate to use as a base to work on, and a big carrying case to hold all my stuff. All this for about $30. Not bad!

Check out the haul:

The very first entry! I was listening to a Radiolab podcast about Darwin when I sat down to sculpt, so today's post is a little bird. I modeled it after a sparrow, but it's not exactly a perfect replica.

I swear he didn't look so much like he was wearing headphones in person. I was going for a sort of textured stripe (the reference photo had a swath of different-colored fuzz in that area), but it doesn't really translate in these pictures.

He fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, too.

Yellow Play-Doh, ~30 min.

When I helped her move, Dayna let me borrow her whole collection of Astonishing X-Men comics (thank you!), and now I'm kind of obsessed. I just finished #11, which has a pretty freaky reveal at the end involving a Sentinel. So here you go! His shoulders are too narrow (I carved off too much), but other than that I think it's a definite improvement over Zombie Scott Pilgrim.

Marblex, ~45 min.

Me: Is it ok if I take a few pictures?

Instructor: Why, do you need to prove to someone you were here?

Me: Yeah, it's for the judge. This is my court-ordered community service.

Instructor: (seriously) Wouldn't be the first time.